Howard the Duck #4

Marvel's Howard the Duck magazine goes full satire in this 1980 issue, with cover art by John Pound delivering a pitch-perfect parody of a certain famous men's magazine — retitled "Playduck" and clutched proudly by a bewildered Howard in his smoking jacket. He's flanked by a glamorous, red-haired duck companion posing against a backdrop of framed paintings, while the tagline "You'll Believe Hairless Apes Can Talk!" sets the irreverent tone beautifully. Inside, Bill Mantlo scripts and Gene Colan pencils "The Maltese Cockroach," promising the kind of sharp, absurdist storytelling that made Howard one of Marvel's most delightfully offbeat characters of the era.